found Trent’s number in my mom’s phone!”
“What? Why would she have Trent’s number? How did she get it? And why would your dad be calling Trent? He hardly speaks to
you
!”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t know what to do. That’s why I’m telling you. What do you think? Wait…Hold that thought. We’re here.”
I put on my blinker, and we coasted into the parking lot of the Gnarled Oak.
“Hope you’re hungry,” I said.
Bri looked at me funny. “Sista, please.”
I laughed. But then I stopped suddenly. “Bri, look!”
She turned. “What am I looking at?”
“That’s Trent’s car,” I pointed at a black Challenger. And then I pointed at a silver F-350, “And
that’s
Chase’s truck!”
She gasped. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Do you think they’re here together?”
“I don’t know why they would be, but everyone else in your life seems to be connected somehow. There’s only one way to find out.” She looked at me. “Let’s go!” I pulled around back and found a parking spot that was somewhat hidden.
“We need to be discreet,” I instructed. “If they don’t see us, and they
are
together, maybe we can overhear their conversation.”
We got very quiet. I was so nervous that my knees were trying to knock. I had no idea what I was about to find behind the door of the Gnarled Oak.
A tiny, energetic hostess with sleek, black hair pulled back in a knot stood at the podium. “Thanks for joining us for lunch. Table for two?” she said with a smile. Her eyes were blue and lined in black to match her hair.
I froze. I wasn’t sure what we wanted. Luckily Bri was one step ahead of me. She already had scanned the room. “We’ll take a booth, if you don’t mind…” She smiled. “…in the back.”
“Not at all. This way please.” She picked up two menus and walked us to a booth against the far wall. It was dark in there even during the day, which worked to our advantage. They kept the shutters closed and the lights dim.
The Gnarled Oak had a cozy feel. The floors were made of a glossy dark-stained oak, and the walls were covered in warm burgundy paint. The drapes that flanked the shutters were thick like the table linens and covered in rich complicated patterns. The ceiling was tall, and beautiful oak beams ran across it. Ornate tapestries hung on the walls. I hadn’t noticed all these details the first time I’d visited. I was too entranced by Trent.
We quickly sat down and scooted as close to the wall as we could. The way we held our menus reminded me of a spy I had seen in a cartoon, except he held a newspaper instead and had holes cut in it for his eyes to peer through. The image almost made me laugh.
Barely moving her lips, like a ventriloquist, Bri whispered, “They’re here. Across the room in the corner behind you.”
“So they
are
together,” I said quietly.
“Oh, yeah,” said Bri enthusiastically.
“What do you mean?”
Ugh! I wish I could see
.
“They seem real relaxed. Chummy…like old buds.”
“I don’t know, Bri. Maybe I should just confront everyone—my mom, my dad, Trent, Chase…”
“Why? So they can lie to your face? You already know they’re doing stuff behind your back. I say, find out for yourself what’s going on, and then you’ll know it’s the truth.”
She had a point. “You’ll help me?”
She gave me her best “Are you kidding me?” look and arched her brows. “Don’t I always?”
“Oh, crap! Chase is coming this way.”
Bri looked down and rested her head on her hand so she could block the side of her face. I copied her and did the same. He came closer. I don’t know why, but I felt afraid. It’s not like we were doing anything wrong. He walked past us and went into the restroom.
We looked at each other and sighed with relief. The waitress approached us, and we quickly ordered so we could resume our positions before Chase came out of the restroom.
A few minutes later, he headed back to
“What? Why would she have Trent’s number? How did she get it? And why would your dad be calling Trent? He hardly speaks to
you
!”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t know what to do. That’s why I’m telling you. What do you think? Wait…Hold that thought. We’re here.”
I put on my blinker, and we coasted into the parking lot of the Gnarled Oak.
“Hope you’re hungry,” I said.
Bri looked at me funny. “Sista, please.”
I laughed. But then I stopped suddenly. “Bri, look!”
She turned. “What am I looking at?”
“That’s Trent’s car,” I pointed at a black Challenger. And then I pointed at a silver F-350, “And
that’s
Chase’s truck!”
She gasped. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Do you think they’re here together?”
“I don’t know why they would be, but everyone else in your life seems to be connected somehow. There’s only one way to find out.” She looked at me. “Let’s go!” I pulled around back and found a parking spot that was somewhat hidden.
“We need to be discreet,” I instructed. “If they don’t see us, and they
are
together, maybe we can overhear their conversation.”
We got very quiet. I was so nervous that my knees were trying to knock. I had no idea what I was about to find behind the door of the Gnarled Oak.
A tiny, energetic hostess with sleek, black hair pulled back in a knot stood at the podium. “Thanks for joining us for lunch. Table for two?” she said with a smile. Her eyes were blue and lined in black to match her hair.
I froze. I wasn’t sure what we wanted. Luckily Bri was one step ahead of me. She already had scanned the room. “We’ll take a booth, if you don’t mind…” She smiled. “…in the back.”
“Not at all. This way please.” She picked up two menus and walked us to a booth against the far wall. It was dark in there even during the day, which worked to our advantage. They kept the shutters closed and the lights dim.
The Gnarled Oak had a cozy feel. The floors were made of a glossy dark-stained oak, and the walls were covered in warm burgundy paint. The drapes that flanked the shutters were thick like the table linens and covered in rich complicated patterns. The ceiling was tall, and beautiful oak beams ran across it. Ornate tapestries hung on the walls. I hadn’t noticed all these details the first time I’d visited. I was too entranced by Trent.
We quickly sat down and scooted as close to the wall as we could. The way we held our menus reminded me of a spy I had seen in a cartoon, except he held a newspaper instead and had holes cut in it for his eyes to peer through. The image almost made me laugh.
Barely moving her lips, like a ventriloquist, Bri whispered, “They’re here. Across the room in the corner behind you.”
“So they
are
together,” I said quietly.
“Oh, yeah,” said Bri enthusiastically.
“What do you mean?”
Ugh! I wish I could see
.
“They seem real relaxed. Chummy…like old buds.”
“I don’t know, Bri. Maybe I should just confront everyone—my mom, my dad, Trent, Chase…”
“Why? So they can lie to your face? You already know they’re doing stuff behind your back. I say, find out for yourself what’s going on, and then you’ll know it’s the truth.”
She had a point. “You’ll help me?”
She gave me her best “Are you kidding me?” look and arched her brows. “Don’t I always?”
“Oh, crap! Chase is coming this way.”
Bri looked down and rested her head on her hand so she could block the side of her face. I copied her and did the same. He came closer. I don’t know why, but I felt afraid. It’s not like we were doing anything wrong. He walked past us and went into the restroom.
We looked at each other and sighed with relief. The waitress approached us, and we quickly ordered so we could resume our positions before Chase came out of the restroom.
A few minutes later, he headed back to
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